View source for Rhizobia

[[File:Rhizobia.jpeg|500px|thumb|left]]
Rhizobia are bacteria that fix nitrogen in [[soil]] that aid in the growth and development of plants. Rhizobia can only fix nitrogen when associated with a plant that provides it with carbohydrates and are only associated with legumes, but not all legumes associate with Rhizobia.

==Taxonomy==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; float:right; margin-left: 10px;
|+ !colspan="2" style="min-width:12em; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(235,235,210)|'''Scientific Classification'''
|-
|colspan="2" |
|-
!style="min-width:6em; |Domain:
|style="min-width:6em; |Bacteria
|-
!style="min-width:6em; |Phylum:
|style="min-width:6em; |Pseudomonadota
|-
!style="min-width:6em; |Class:
|style="min-width:6em; |Alphaproteobacteria
|-
!style="min-width:6em; |Order:
|style="min-width:6em; |Hyphomicrobiales
|-
!style="min-width:6em; |Family:
|style="min-width:6em; |Rhizobiaceae
|-
!style="min-width:6em; |Genus:
|style="min-width:6em; |Rhizobium
|}

==Ecology and Habitat==

==Symbiotic Relationship with Legumes==

Through their symbiotic relationship with legumes, they enhance the availability of nutrients by breaking down [[Organic Matter|organic matter]] and releasing the nutrients into the soil [2]. Rhizobia and legumes work together to promote the growth of numerous plant species, thus strengthening the ecosystem [2].

==Soil Benefits==

Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plant growth and development, but plants do not have the ability to use the nitrogen in the atmosphere directly []. Rhizobium forms symbiotic relationships with legume plants by developing root nodules, where it converts the nitrogen in the atmosphere into a form that plants can absorb []. This process improves soil health by increasing nitrogen availability, contribute to increased soil microbial [[diversity]], and improving soil structure.

==Rhizobium Biotechnology==

==References==